>[!abstract] >The synopticon, a concept introduced by sociologist Thomas Mathiesen, is the inverse of the panopticon: instead of the few watching the many, it describes a system where the many watch the few. In modern societies, this dynamic is visible in how mass media, digital platforms, and social networks enable citizens to observe, scrutinize, and sometimes hold elites, politicians, or celebrities accountable. While it can democratize oversight and empower resistance, the synopticon also risks creating spectacle-driven attention economies where visibility replaces substantive accountability. It complements the panopticon as a model of surveillance in the age of mass communication. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Surveillance studies]] >- **West** (similar): [[Sousveillance]] >- **East** (different): [[Panopticon]] >- **South** (downstream): [[Media spectatorship]]